Friends Mom -

Growing up, we view our friends' parents as extensions of the setting—like the living room couch or the garage fridge. They exist to facilitate our plans or prevent them. But as you get into your late twenties and early thirties, you realize they were just as lost, brave, and uncertain as you are now.

April 14, 2026

When you’re young, you assume your friends' parents were always old. Now, when I look at Diane, I don't just see Mark’s mom. I see the girl from Oregon. I see the young wife. I see the exhausted mother of a toddler. It makes the gray hairs look less like aging and more like earned wisdom. friends mom

Your own mom knows how to push your buttons because she installed them. But a friend’s mom offers advice without the baggage. When I told Diane I was thinking of quitting my stable job to freelance, she didn't panic like my mom did. She just said, "You’re smart enough to land on your feet. The safety net is ugly anyway." Growing up, we view our friends' parents as

On the drive home, I realized that the "village" we hear so much about isn't just for raising kids. It’s for living life. Diane isn't my mom. But she is part of my foundation. April 14, 2026 When you’re young, you assume